KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (TVC) — On May 7 2026 at approximately 2p.m. the University of Tennessee’s Canvas page was shut down due to scheduled maintenance, and the same happened to an estimated 9,000 universities across the country. This was no coincidence, as these universities were second-hand victims to a cyber attack targeted towards Instructure, Canvas’ parent company, that began as early as April 29, 2026. The Office of the Provost sent an email to the entire UT Community confirming the connection between the software shutdown and the cyber security attack affecting universities across the nation. Though a path forward was unclear.
Shockwaves across campus because this was no ordinary day–it was the day before the start of final exams.
UTK Nursing student Isabella Hurst was in the library studying when Canvas shut down.
“Tonight is when everyone’s freaking out. You know, this is the one [night] that everybody pulls together and really studies. If they haven’t been already,” Hurst said.
Hurst calls the situation ‘distressing’, and though some exams are not on Canvas, students still need the Canvas platform.
“All of our coursework that we’re using to study for our exams, even though our exams are on a different software, all the work for it is on canvas,” Hurst said.
Dr. Joseph Stabb, assistant Professor of Practice for the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations empathizes with students’ worries.
“I know it’s nerve wracking when you’re trying to study for finals and you know, get things done at the end of the semester,” Stabb said. “My colleagues, I would hope that they would be empathetic and compassionate and, you know, work with students to figure out a path forward for everyone.”
Canvas has been back on online since midnight last night. However, the university encourages students to download any needed course materials on Canvas as an extra precaution in case of another shutdown. It is important to also continue to be on the watch for ‘phishy’ emails. To learn more on how to spot a scam, visit the OIT instruction page on your Canvas dashboard.
